Motor support



June 16, 1942.

A. FTREED MOTOR SUPPORT Filed May 24, 1940 FIE E 1 N VEN TOR:

Patented June 16, 1942 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE MOTOR SUPPORT Edward A. Freed, Moline, Ill. Application May 24, 1940, Serial No. 336,901 3 Claims. (01. 248-420) My present invention pertains in general to motor driven circulating air blowers of the type commonly used for supplying air for hot air heating and air conditioning systems, and is concerned particularly with a novel design of support for the motor or other driving means thereof.

In a blower of this kind the motor is usually mounted close to the blower housing to form a compact unit. The usual means of transmitting power from the motor to the blower Wheel is through a belt drive. To ensure eificient operation of the blower it is necessary that the drive belt always be maintained at the proper tension so that slippage of the belt on the pulleys will not occur. The blower, operating at a predetermined R. P. M., produces a certain definite volumn of air output. To maintain a constant volumn of air output, the blower must be driven at a constant speed. If the speed of the blower is reduced because of slippage of the belt resulting from reduced tension thereon, the volumn of air output is decreased. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a design of motor support which may be positioned close to the blower housing and which is self-adjustable to maintain the proper tension on the drive belt.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the motor support that an even driving tension will be exerted onthe drive belt at all times without the need of adjusting the motor on the support.

A further object is to provide a resilient support for the motor to relieve it from danger of damage caused by shocks and jars.

A still further object is to construct an efficient and inexpensive design of motor support which is adapted to be used on the conventional type of air blower.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention as will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional air blower showing my improved motor support.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the rear of the blower housing removed to show the motor support.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the motor support,

Figure 4 is an end view of the motor support shown in Figure 3, but on an enlarged scale, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail cross sectional View taken on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The blower, referred to in its entirety by numeral II, is of conventional design and includes a blower housing I2 which is supported in a frame I3. The frame I3 is formed of front and rear upright angle iron members I4 and I5 respectively disposed at each side of the housing I2. The lower ends of each pair of members l4 and I5 are secured to right and left hand horizontal angle iron base bars I6 and II respectively arranged in parallel relation directly below the bars I4 and I5. The upper portion of the bars I4 and I5 are riveted or otherwise secured to the adjacent sides of housing I2. A blower wheel (not shown) is rotatably mounted within the housing I2. The blower wheel is secured on a shaft 2| which is journaled in bearings 22 disposed at opposite sides of the housing l2. The bearings shown are of conventional design and. are mounted on plate 23--one at each side of the housingdisposed below the shaft 2| and extending between the members I4 and I5. The ends of the plates 23 are supported on angle brackets 24 secured to the members l4 and I5.

A driving motor 26 is mounted at the rear of the housing I2 and at one side thereof on a motor support 21. A pulley 28 is provided on the motor 26 in the usual manner and is adapted to receive a drive belt 29. The belt 29 is also trained over a pulley 3| fixed on shaft 2I.

The motor support 21 comprises a vertical end plate 4I secured to the rear end of base bar I6 and extends upwardly therefrom. A transverse brace member 42 is secured to the rear edge of plate 4| and extends across the frame I3 to a connection with base bar II. A pair of plates 44, preferably formed of light gauge resilient material, are secured to the vertical end plate 4| and extend laterally therefrom. A motor base plate 45 is rigidly secured to the opposite end of the plates 44. The plates 44 are positioned one ahead of the other and at an angle relative to the vertical. The forward plate is disposed on a higher plane than the rear plate. This construction causes the motor base plate 45 to be disposed at a rearwardly and downwardly inclined angle. The angle of the plate 45 is preferably such that the face of the plate is in a plane parallel with a line drawn through the centers of pulley 28 and shaft 2I. When the motor 26 is mounted on the inclined plate 45, the weight of the motor overhanging the motor support 21 tends to swing the plates 44 rearwardly and exert a direct pull on the belt 29. This puts a tension on the drive belt 29 which aids in preventing the belt from slipping. By reason of this an idler or belt tightener pulley mechanism is not required. Further, because of the resiliency of the plates 44 the motor is relieved of shock and jars which might otherwise be imposed on it due to sudden starting and stopping of the motor with the load of the blower connected with it. From the foregoing description it will be seen that a motor support of this design provides the maximum of efficiency in operation, readily lends itself to a compact unit construction and is economical to manufacture.

While I have described, in connection with the accompanying drawing, the specific form in which I prefer to embody my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific means which I have herein shown and described, and that, in fact, widely difierent means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a motor support, a vertical member, a pair of parallel resilient, plates secured to said vertical member and extending laterally therefrom, said plates being positioned at an angle relative to the vertical and at different levels with respect to each other, and a motor base secured to the free ends of said plates and disposed in an inclined position.

2. In a motor support, a vertical member, a pair of parallel resilient plates secured to said vertical member and positioned at different levels, and a motor base secured to said plates.

3. In a motor support comprising a pair of resilient plates disposed in parallel angular planes and at different levels, and a motor base secured to said plates and positioned at right angles to said plates.

EDWARD A. FREED. 

